With the growing popularity of graphical computer interfaces such as the interface provided by Windows 98® from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash., computer mice have become an important tool for interacting with computers. Even so, little work has been done to investigate how to improve mice to minimize user hand fatigue while maximizing user accuracy in positioning a cursor on the screen.
For example, current computer mice do not provide enough support to the little finger and ring fingers of computer users. In particular, there are no mice of the prior art that provide vertical support to the distal phalanges (i.e., finger tips) of a user's ring finger and little finger when the user has their index finger and their middle finger positioned over the primary and secondary mouse buttons, respectively. Instead, when a user grasps a mouse with their middle finger positioned over the secondary button, their ring finger is used to “pinch” the substantially vertical sides of the mouse and their little finger is left to drag across the work surface.
Some mice of the prior art provide support for the ring finger, but only if the user positions the ring finger over the secondary button. In most cases, this positioning causes the user to flex both their middle finger and their ring finger to actuate the secondary button.
Because of the increasing importance of mice, manufactures have recently begun to add more actuators to their mice. In particular, manufacturers have added actuators on the sides of their mice. These actuators take the form of side buttons that are depressed by the user's thumb. Current designs for such side buttons have emphasized placing the side button directly under the user's thumb, much like the top buttons are positioned beneath the user's fingers. Although this natural design makes it easy to actuate the button, it interferes with “pinching” the mouse during mouse movements.
Mice manufacturers have also begun to include depressible and rotatable wheels on the top of their mice to perform scrolling functions. The surface of such wheels have generally been smooth or populated by widely spaced bumps or ridges. Although such designs have provided adequate performance, they do not provide an optimal amount of surface friction for rolling.
Thus, an improved mouse is needed that provides support to the user's hand and fingers while allowing pinching of the mouse and actuation of the buttons of the mouse. In addition, a mouse wheel is needed with improved friction between the user's finger and the wheel.